line. every single one of them, shaq, so you can go to cnn.com, send in your video. you may be able to be a part of next year's challenge. >> that is too long for me. >> maybe we'll get shaq back again, thank you so much. >> thank you. that will wrap it up for us. stay connected and keep the conversation going on twitter, at sanjaygupta . hello everyone, don lemon here, you're in the news room here. listen very closely because as we go on the air tonight israeli soldiers are gathering on their nation's border with gaza. a land war could be only hours away. a cnn crew shot this video in gaza city, look to the right of

your screen there. it is really air strikes hitting targets of the they say the buzz of drones overhead is nearly constant. 11 people were killed today. the israel defense dome system, making it hard, knocking most rockets out of the sky well before they hit anyone. people are running for safety. the iron dome can only do so much, though. when the sirens sound, israelis scatter, looking for shelter, looking for a rocket trying to find its target. no sign is as ominous as this one, mobilizing along the border, egypt is trying to stop it from getting worse by spearheading talks. if the negotiators want to prevent a war they need to act

quickly. ben, it looks as though everything is in place. are we about to witness a ground war here? >> reporter: well, it is difficult to say when a ground war would happen, but here on the border everything points to intense urgent -- prepares for preparations for the possibility of ground war. we've seen a lot of tanks coming by, a lot of armored personnel carriers. there are a lot of soldiers in this area. so clearly israel is going ahead with preparations. obviously, this depends on all sorts of diplomatic contacts at different levels. i heard a large blast, could have been artillery from the israeli side. egypt and the united states and israel, we know those contacts are going on, on an almost constant basis. but there have been persistent reports this evening in the

israeli media as well as the arab media suggesting that a negotiated cease-fire is in the works. however, i spoke to a senior israeli spokesperson who said it is simply not true. now maybe retrospectively, they may come out and say yes, we have arrived at a cease-fire. but it is only context -- >> ben, we could hear it loudly, probably not as loudly as you, you said it is possibly outgoing artillery from the israeli side. how often are you hearing the blasts? >> reporter: well, we're hearing -- don, it is not just the outgoing artillery, it is occasionally, every half hour or so. also earlier we heard what sounded like an incoming mortar, a red alarm going out from a

nearby israeli base. the possibly of incoming missiles. we are seeing huge flames coming out from gaza city behind me. and it is about ten kilometers or seven miles from here. but you can feel an intense shock wave when that reaches us so far away. so it is a pretty noisy place here, or at least it has been for the last few hours. don? >> ben, you know this area as well as anyone does. do you think that this was inevitable? do you think that a ground war is inevitable, as well? >> reporter: it certainly points in that direction. obviously, the united states, for instance, is probably not enthusiastic about a ground war because that will result in far higher casualties. up until now it is about 50 people killed in gaza, three on the israeli side. if there is a ground invasion there will be much higher

casualties. so i, for instance was out in the west bank, and there were clashes going on there today. people -- palestinians protesting against the gaza operation. so sort of nerves are on edge, many people expect this to happen. if you look back at the experience of four years ago when israel had its so-called cast ca -- caste-led invasion, we saw a series of events, air bombardment, softening of targets and then going in. so far it looks in many ways like a repeat. but we know that there are many people working to try to stop a ground incursion. >> if something warrants it, we'll get back to ben as soon as possible. we have been down this road

before, if they invade, this wouldn't be the last time we see the israelis and palestinians fight each other. thank you, sir, for joining us. just very quickly, as i went on the air tonight i said there were possibly going to be a ground war on the brink. when you look at all of the people who are being put in place here, 30,000 israeli troops on the border, are we about to see a ground war? >> well, i think the exchange you had, he is one of the most experienced reporters, is caution. the man, the forces, they have the materials for a ground operation. but who knows, at the end of the day it is in israel's best interest to pull back. because once you go into gaza you are doing street warfare, in the most densely populated piece of earth.

and the israelis have been there before, in operation 2008 and 2009, they also had a war against hezbollah, those wars tend to be inconclusive. so i think caution is the order as we look at the equation today. >> if there is a ground war, of course, everybody wonders whether or not the u.s. will get involved with troops, what have you. but that is much further down the road here, right? >> well, i think whether there is an invasion or whether there is not, i think we have to go back and reexamine the diplomatic setting, if you will. people will be pushed to say we can't ignore this situation, this conflict because as we look back on the last four years and the indifference, if you will, to the obama situation on what is happening on the west bank and gaza, i think there will be pressure. this will be pressure from egypt. there will be pressure from turkey and qatar, the three countries that are the most

sympathetic to hamas, because don, i think the fear is warranted. it is not the last time we'll see the conflict between israel and the palestinians. hamas is leading the palestinian people to ruin, hamas must be seen to be a rogue regime. because it is under the palestinian national authority. >> i want to go back to something you said about the president's indifference. do you think it would behoove the president to get involved and trying to solve this crisis? is it even possible to find a solution in the next four years? that question is really asked of every president. >> i think you're absolutely right, from truman, if you want the history, to george bush, people talked about solving the

crisis. president obama actually kind of turned away from the region, from the conflict. but now there is noise to do what he can do in the second administration, not the first. it always frustrates american presidents, and if the realities remain as they are, and again, the introduction of this hamas as an element. the hamas armed by the iranians. and hamas granting iran a beachhead in the mediterranean. >> i found it very interesting, when i was speaking, somebody who knows the region very well, our very own jim clancy, covering the region for years. he said the strategy is antiquated, the way that israel is proceeding with the conflict, nobody will reach a resolution. >> well, i don't think i would put it this way. i think when the government is

facing a rogue organization and the government is living under rockets and living under missiles from gaza, there is no choice but to do -- but to have these encounters and to have these incursions. but we must go back and look for fundamental settlements between israel, the world ignored it for years. i think we need to look at it again. >> we'll talk about it the coming days, hours, thank you. all right, millions of people in the middle east living in fear. can you imagine living with the threat of rockets and bombs above your head every day? we'll talk with our expert, wendy walsh, about that next of the ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan

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wede . 30,000 israeli soldiers, mobilized along the border. israeli air strikes hitting targets and the threat of an all-out ground war ever-present. people on both sides now live in fear on how close the attacks have come. listen to one man in gaza last night. >> the israeli civilians, i may as well -- [ noises ] >> yeah, that was actually thursday night. but what is it like to live like this, amid the escalating violence? can you imagine prolonged over time? wendy walsh is a human behavior specialist in los angeles, how does it affect people? what is the psychological impact here, wendy? >> reporter: don, i want to take you back to the weeks following our own 9/11. do you remember the rumors, the fear, maybe they're using crop dusters, they were going to use anthrax, that maybe more terrorist attacks were going to have on the buildings?

do you remember the terror we all felt during those times, now i want you to imagine the people in palestine, in israel, taking their kids to school, shopping, not the first time, on a daily basis. it starts to grind on someone, it really starts to grind and wear and be a kind of chronic inter-generational stress. >> yes, and even people who have loved ones, it affects them, as well. >> and when you were talking, the guests, the footage of a family getting out of their car. they were consoling their toddler baby. i thought oh, my goodness, can you imagine you're just driving to work, and going to school, officials say no, there could be bombing. you could see the fear on the child's face because she was reading her parents' fear. and of course, it is the hardest thing to try to contain yourself to not pass it on to the babies

and children, because that is when it becomes lifelong terror. >> okay, what about the babies and specifically the children? what kind of impact does war have on children? >> well, of course, war can be traumatizing, and some can come out of it relatively unscathed, and others can have depression, trust issues for the rest of their life. war is not good. did we get that yet? war is not good. it can be psychologically disabling. but the people who have had so much war and conflict, they're prepared for it in the case of people having to serve two years in the army in israel. but preparing for it is also establishing that the threat, the danger is there. they're being reminded of it constantly.

this kind of stress can be debilitating, hard on families. >> i don't know if you saw the bbc reporter holding the little baby who had died. it is just heartbreaking, heartbreaking to watch. and to think that a ground war is coming soon possibly, not possibly, probably. >> we hope not. we hope it is a show of defense and won't turn to that. >> we'll have much more on the developing story in israel, plus getting you up to speed on the other headlines there are stories happening here and internationally. what would you do if you saw this crash happen right in front of you? the cars reeked of gas and could catch fire any second. there is a baby inside. we'll introduce you to the hero who rushed in to save her. to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs

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wedem . we're not going to go far away from the impending war in the middle east. but for now, president obama should be landing in thailand in a matter of hours on a three-day journey. he will also stop in myammar,

where it is the first visit by an american president. massive tax hikes and spending cuts could kick in on january first. the democrats and republicans seemed more in a mood to compromise after yesterday's series of meetings. >> i know these challenges won't be easy to solve but we can do it if we work together. that is why on friday i sat down with congressional leaders to discuss how to reduce our deficit in a way that strengthens our economy and protects our middle class. it was a constructive meeting and everybody agreed that while we may have our differences we need to come together and take action as soon as possible. >> for too long, partisan fighting has stopped both parties from reaching across the aisle to find common ground. that must stop. washington can't keep ducking the tough decisions, and the fiscal cliff we're headed for

provides an opportunity for both sides to change our country's irresponsible spending path. >> and both sides may have to give ground to get a deal over the finish line. the white house and democrats have pushed for increase in tax rates on the wealthy. republicans have preferred to focus on closing tax loopholes and credits. and fun with the u.s. olympic gymnast team. mimicking her famous not impressed look. and this quickly went viral as you may remember, a little fun with the president. and plotting a mass murder, his mother alerted police. blake lamers is accused of buying assault rifles and more than 400 rounds of am mission for an alleged plot that was like the colorado shooting this summer. the backup plan allegedly

targeted a local walmart. his mother went to police this thursday saying her son had loaded up on weapons similar to those used in the colorado attack. >> any time you have a family member that feels concerned enough that they alert the police department they know their loved one better than anyone else. and when they're concerned enough to alert the police department then we have to take it very seriously. given the concerns that were addressed, there is no question that they acted responsibly. >> court don'ts show he had stopped taking medication for a mental condition. and you have to take a look at the video that captures a crash so violent and so loud, there it is, neighbors could hear it inside their homes. neighbors rushed into action. and one jumped into a demolisted car to help the people inside.

>> i found a little baby just hanging on her car seat. and that got my attention immediately. i had to work with her. >> he was able to carry that little girl to safety. it is hard to believe but everyone else in this crash only had minor injuries. the blistering attacks on israel and gaza are stoking fears of an all-out war. millions of people could be in harm's way. we're breaking it down for you right after this. grand prix circuit. the perfect place to bring the all-new cadillac ats to test the 2.0-liter turbo engine. [ engine revs ] ♪ [ derek ] 272 horsepower. the lightest in its class. the cadillac ats outmatches the bmw 3 series. i cannot believe i have ended the day not scraping some red paint off on these barriers. ♪ [ male announcer ] the all-new cadillac ats.

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. israel is mobilizing 30,000 troops, who will wait for word to cross the gaza border and turn their conflict into a ground war. the last time we saw this was four years ago, operation cast-iron, a grueling campaign. and the numbers from that war are staggering. 13 israelis killed, versus 1400 palestinians who died. for now, all the key people can do there is listen for the missiles, watch and hope for the best. cnn's sara sidner is there.

>> reporter: today, just like the past few days we have been hearing a chorus of drones and air strikes. we've also seen plenty of rocket fire coming out of gaza towards israel. we have witnessed several times several rockets at a time heading over towards israel. also, we need to tell you what is going on with the potential cease-fire. we're hearing from the arab league that perhaps they were in negotiations between gaza and israel. but israeli officials are denying that there is talk of a cease-fire that they're involved in, anyway. we do know that we're expecting a delegation coming over from several countries out of the meeting that they had in cairo, to show up here in gaza, perhaps tomorrow. we are waiting also to hear what is going to happen when it comes to the ground troops that israel has amassed on the border. now, right now we're hearing the sound of planes. and that usually means only one thing, that there will be air

strikes that follow. and it is this time of night into the wee hours in the morning that things get very, very intense with lots of glass, air strikes. but we know that there have been blasts coming from the israeli ships in the sea. we ourselves have experienced loud booms and bangs coming from the sea, right there along the water. so there are concerns, people are not in the streets. most have hunkered down in their homes. most of the businesses have been closed. we know that more people have been killed here, including militants and civilians. and we know that more people have been injured. sara sidner. >> this is just unbelievable, this photo of a baby, the staffer holding the baby son. his name is omar. he was fatally burned, according to reports. baby omar is the son of a

staffer there, he is just one of many killed since this happened wednesday. a 10 month-old was also killed, as well. the missiles hit his family home shortly after the fire. 11 people killed in gaza today. 46 killed since israel's military operations began. understanding the conflict between israel and palestinian militants in gaza means keeping in mind just how many people could be in harm's way. josh levs, i hate to lead into with that very sad story, but the pictures do tell the story. >> each one of these images is heartbreaking, and sad. what i want to do here is the result of the bombs, the air strikes.

i want to zoom this out to give the effect of what people are living in fear. i want you to see, we marked the west bank of israel. we'll zoom into gaza, take a look, gaza is roughly twice the size of washington, d.c. and in this area you have squeezed into the area, a population of 1.7 million people. you have areas in gaza, very densely populated. i'm just using the example of gaza city, it is one of the areas that is very densely populated. they're focusing on the terrorist infrastructure and can hit various areas. 7.6 million people in israel, israel is only the size of new jersey. you heard officials talk many times how people have been living in fear of rocket attacks. some of those are in southern israel. and part of the area you're seeing here, the hamas rockets

according to the evidence we have been able to see, we saw one the other day that was able to land in this area. this is just a sign of how many densely populated cities there are in that area. one more really important thing to keep in mind, folks, as you watch, the west bank is run by fatah, and it is gaza that is run by hamas. now, that is just a look at the broader implications in the region. first, listen to tony blair. >> the military actions need to cease, we can find our way forward. i don't think we should be in any doubt at all if this situation continues and escalates, it is going to be really serious and tragic, not just for israelis and palestinians, but actually, it will cause a huge amount of upheaval in the region, and you

know this area doesn't require more right now. >> take a look at some of the examples i want to show you here, the surrounding nations, first of all, egypt, we have been covering this nation get ago new government. also, egypt has been battle the area in sinai, and recently they clashed with the king, taking on the protest. very unusual. an intelligence chief was killed in a bombing. and over next to it, east in syria we have that war that has been going on since march of last year. and according to the latest estimates from the opposition, nearly 40,000 people killed in that conflict. so you have the concerns, don, what is going on between israel and gaza could create even more instability in the region. something absolutely nobody in the world would want to see. >> thank you, josh, we appreciate it. isramore troops along the

israel-gaza border. we'll take you there next.

if you needed anymore

evidence that israelis and palestinians is closer to war in gaza, there is word that israel is sending 30,000 troops to the border. >> reporter: we're in an area very close to gaza, only about three kilometers away from the strip of gaza, this is basically a unit that is keeping an eye on the gaza strip. now, as you can see, the guys have set up very close to a line of trees. and one of the reasons for that, they fear they can take fire from gaza, keep in mind in the past several days several targets in the gaza strip have been hit by rockets. they have been hit by tanks, including the israeli defense forces. there is a sign that they're amassing troops here, we see one of the many collection points near the border where they're collecting armored personnel carriers, tanks, as well.

we have been to several place news ths in this area. and all of them, we can see movement going on. and israeli forces have called up tens of thousands of reserves, which many believe could be leading to a ground offensive in the coming days or weeks. however, a spokesperson was not willing to say when there would be a time line of when it could begin. >> i don't want to go into defense military on television, however, it is a possibility that is being considered in order to restore the calm to the south. >> reporter: they say that the operation in gaza is continuing at a very high pace. however, they also say they're both willing and capable to put their foot on the gas and increase the scope of the operations. cnn, near the border with gaza. >> all right. a woman decides to take a

detour around a school bus full of children. hold an idiot sign. did the judge go too far? ] fore this line is a convenience. how you doing today? i'm good thanks. how are you? i'm good. [ gordon ] but for others, it's all they can afford. every day nearly nine million older americans don't have enough to eat. anything else? no, not today. join me, aarp, and aarp foundation in the drive to end hunger by visiting drivetoendhunger.org.

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call today. ♪ . quick look now at some of the other headlines of the day. coast guard patrol boats and helicopter still searching for a 1400 square-mile section in the gulf, looking for two missing workers. they have not been seen since friday, where they were working. 11 workers were hurt in the blast. the spokesperson said the fire is out now, federal authorities are still investigating the cause of that. we'll update you. and nfl legend, mike ditka, suffering what is called a mild stroke. the player and hall of famer says he feels good and it is not a big deal. ditka is currently an nfl analyst and will not work any nfl shows this weekend.

we wish him the best. and a texas girl's life was changed forever after a car crash. but the sentencing for a person who hit her, the letter was read in court, bringing many to tears. >> reporter: the smile on chili vasquez's face is so big, you would never know the nine-year-old is happy. she is missing some things. >> like fighting with my brothers. >> reporter: she is in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down. she is dealing with it, but it still causes a lot of hurt. >> a year and a half ago she was walking, i think that is what hurts the most. >> reporter: in july of last year, the truck hit the car head-on, jeremy solis, the person driving, had a blood alcohol limit of nearly three

and a half times the limit. he had a chance to say something. >> took me to x-rays every day, fed me, i had tubes through my mouth and nose. >> the local district attorney's office is adopting the vasquez family for the holiday season. medical bills for the nine-year-old have already topped $1.6 million, the driver who caused the accident received ten years behind bars. it is a judge-ordered punishment that you have to see to believe. and there it is, a woman in cleveland ordered to stand on the public street corner, and holding an embarrassing sign saying only an idiot would drive around a school bus. she drove on the sidewalk on a daily basis, putting it in a potentially dangerous situation. it was captured on a cell phone, the officers waited for her, caught her in the act. while serving her sentence she

was not too happy about the spectators. >> what i don't owe, i don't know none of these, and i'm not giving it to them -- i'm just going to serve the sentence and get on with my life, like y'all should have done a long time ago. >> sorry, and -- i'm -- i'm surprised, at the attitude. holly is here, a criminal defense attorney, she is stunned. i don't mean to judge this woman. but first of all, you know you don't drive around the school bus, everybody makes a mistake. but then when you do it, you should -- >> not only that, but you don't drive up on the sidewalk to go around the school bus. and this is something that happened over and over on a daily basis. >> lady, i hope that you see this tape and this story, and you are embarrassed by it. it is crazy. >> well, you know what, don, i

hope she saw the story we just covered of the little girl who was paralyzed from the chest down due to an accident. now, this woman was not alleged to have been drunk, this hardinwoman, but she created a dangerous situation, the judge ordered her to stand out there with a sign. >> is this too harsh, though? >> no, it is not harsh enough, it didn't say i'm an idiot, that could be a public service nouncement, a concerned parent standing out there, saying only an idiot. you know, you see the safe children signs all over, no, this is not too harsh. >> i have seen similar stories. >> yeah, there is a phenomenal judge in texas, judge poe, and will make you stand outside with the big sandwich boards. he is tough, he will say yeah, i

beat my wife, yeah, i'm convicted. you can sit in jail if you don't want to do that. >> embarrassment, that is probably a really good sentence for a lot of people. let's change the subject. four men cleared last year of the 1994 rape and murder of an englewood woman, filing lawsuits. claiming they were framed by chicago police and cook county prosecutors. their lawyers, i remember this story. say the men known as the englewood four, believe-- ignor forever. what kind of case do they have? >> they actually have a good case. this offense happened in 1994. this was dna evidence in 1996 that said it is not linked to any of these four young men. now, i will say, let's be fair in the reporting. there were confessions, but what we're hearing now is they were false because there was

coercion, beating, physical intimidation. there was violence, very long duration of bringing these young men in, and basically saying you're not free to leave and pushing them until they confessed. so what will be interesting, if these four young men who are now grown men, they spent 17 years behind bars for something they didn't do. so what can be very good, these tactics that happened, somebody at the police station if the allegations are true will kind of man up. and say yeah, they were there for a long time. i did hear them saying i didn't do it, i didn't do it for the first three hours, and suddenly, it comes out in the confession. >> let's hope it comes out sooner rather than later. >> and you know, it is a terrible thing. let's say this, there are hundreds of thousands of good law enforcement officers out there, don. but if these guys did what they're alleged to do and coerce

these kids? >> when two sides go to war, it is about the boots on the ground, how do the weapons stack up here? that is next. but first i want to tell you this, college, of course, is there to further a student's education. but christine romans points out you first should be educated about paying for college. >> reporter: at this high school fair, veronica woodly is looking at college. picking the right college is a high stakes moment, with a high price tag. average amount is 28,000 for in-state students, a private college, $48,000. community college, $15,000 a

year. not all kids borrow for college, but those who do graduate with $17,000 debt on average. with prices like that, college choices are a careful investment that depends on the student's talents and finances. most important, you need to graduate in four years, no more five years. and you have to pick the right school. if you haven't saved money you can't pick the super expensive scol and graduate five years later. and you say there is a certain rule of thumb. >> first of all, i don't know how and why you think you have to pay for the whole thing, don't try to save the whole price tag. basically, try to save a third, borrow a third, much more manageable and you can do it. >> and that means part of the burden is on the kid, but part on the parents. carmen, a lot of people are not saving. >> exactly, listen, if you can't save, i always say to parents take care of yourself. your child has a lot more time

to pay off loans than you do. and stick with federal. more flexibility. if they can't pay, they have more ways to pay. >> christine christine romans, york. americans believe they should be in charge of their own future. how they'll live tomorrow. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futures. helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one. together for your future. ♪ sven's home security gets the most rewards of any small business credit card! how does this thing work? oh, i like it! [ garth ] sven's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! woo-hoo!!!

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as israelis and palestinians move toward a possible ground war in gaza, each side flexing its military muscle, their strengths are quite different. tom foreman looks at the advantages each of these enemies has. >> globalfirepower.com has called israel the tenth most powerful military in the world. they have compulsory military service, meaning every young person must go into the military for a while.

176,000 troops are available. ground forces also impressive. some 3,000 tanks. if you count the artillery pieces and mortars, you have about 12,000 units that can operate on the ground, and their air force is formidable, about 800 aircraft including some 200 helicopters. this is largely what they have used. their forces are much smaller in terms of their official forces if you look at people in uniform, soldiers, police, whatever you want to call it, about 12,500. of course, they have nothing like the weapons the israelis have. however, palestinian militants do have lots and lots of rockets. and i want to bring in a model of one of them here. this is a qassam 2. you have probably heard about this a bit. these are popular because they're cheap, easy to make out of steel tubes. they only weigh 70 to 100 pounds and they're fueled by essential

grade fertilizer. they're not very accurate, but if you fire enough, they don't have to be accurate. if you go beyond this to more robust and better targeted rockets and missiles, you start talking about range. in this conflict so far, reports of weapons fired from gaza traveling as much as 50 miles to hit jerusalem and tel aviv. as much as a fifth of the population of israel is subject to the rocket attacks. that's something they will not tolerate anymore. that's why we keep hearing this tom and speculation of a ground invasion of gaza. >> thank you very much. much, much more on izrail coming up. >> first, a story that will make you smile. forget the super bowl. it's the best halftime show ever. it's changing the conversation. ♪

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or you could just hand them your keys. ♪ ♪ for today's welcome home, we're spotlighting troops coming home for the holidays. it was last week during halftime of the jaguars/colts game with his family on the field, a video message was played from petty officer william cook on the third, his third tour in afghanistan. >> joy, there are no words that can express my thanks for the sacrifices you have made for our family in the past year. have fun tonight, i love you and miss you and promise i'll be home soon. >> but the halftime show was

definitely not over. ♪ where at least i know i'm free ♪ >> petty officer cook sprinted onto the field, much to the delight of the jaguars crowd and his stunned family. now to the story of navy reservist justin white of wichita who just made it home in time for his son's fifth birthday party. only aiden didn't know it was his dad. he just beat in a light saber du duel. and for more of these heart warming home for the holidays videos, logon to cnn.com/video and click through the welcome home collection. i'm don lemon. see you back here in just a moment with the latest in the possible ground war in the middle east. it could happen in a matter of hours. meanwhile, "the situation room" begins right now.